CPU speed problem in Acer Aspire 3627WXMi

A first look

This Acer Aspire 3627WXMi (Model: MS2180) was purchased from Laptops Plus in Sydney, Australia. There has always been a problem with the laptop causing it not to run at its maximal performance. First of all, let’s take a glance at the specifications of this laptop:

• Intel Pentium M 740 (1.73GHz, FSB 533MHz)
• 14.1″ WXGA CrystalBrite TFT LCD
• Kingston 1GB DDR2-533 RAM
• 60GB hard disk
• Dual layer DVD-RW Writer
• Atheros 802.11b/g

The memory was upgraded from the stock 256MB by the dealer. As with any other laptop, there is a white label on the cardboard packaging that outlines the machine type, model, serial number and parts specifications. The interesting thing is, the label says that the CPU should have been a Pentium M 725A (1.6GHz, FSB 400MHz). However, the dealer remarks that the label was incorrent, and should have been the PM 740 instead. I thought, “Nice. Free CPU upgrade!”

1.7GHz CPU running at 1.3GHz

After a few days, the problem emerged. Even though the CPU is rated at 1.73GHz, the maximum speed attainable from this laptop was only 1.3GHz even when on AC power. Puzzled, I started to play around with the power management settings. In Acer ePower Management, CPU speed is already set to maximum, but the computer still runs at 1.3GHz max.

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